Goldberg and Guthrie

The Official Blog of Abby Normal. Do Not Use This Blog!

Thursday, August 05, 2004

Kerry's Vietnam Record

G & G hasn't commented on this, because it's so disgusting that I can't really think about it without wanting to vomit. It's typical Bush-family politics: even when they are favored to win an election, they simply can't do it without resorting to vicious and ugly personal attacks. Dukakis. Clinton (ironically, the one time it didn't work was when most of the attacks were true). McCain. Gore. Now Kerry.

Of course, there is no evidence that the Bush campaign supports these ads - there never is. But it does not appear that the White House has taken John McCain's suggestion and denounced them.

For those who don't know, a group of "veterans" - I hesitated to use a word normally associated with honor and heroism to describe this collection of human filth - have released a book that argues that Kerry's service in Vietnam was less than honorable; that he fabricated conduct in order to receive medals (but that they were given anyway to boost his unit's morale); that Kerry shot a bunch of small animals with a machine gun (I'm not making it up - that's the allegation); that Kerry shot a teenager in the back; that this brave group was forced to keep quiet until now because of the "military machine" (always well known to favor liberal Democratic Senators from Massachusetts).

Here's the kicker, though: NONE OF THESE PEOPLE SERVED WITH KERRY AND THE PEOPLE WHO SERVED WITH HIM SUPPORT HIM. Despite this fact, millions of idiots will read Drudge and see the ad and think there is a semblance of truth to these allegations. There isn't. Six soldiers served with John Kerry on his boat - five support his campaign and one is dead.

In fact, these allegations are so preposterous and such obvious fabrications that I have actually entertained the possibility that Kerry is somehow behind them - to make Bush look desperate; to convince McCain to come over to our side, etc. But then I remembered - you can tell absurd lies - e.g., claiming that Gore said he "invented" the internet - and despite irrefutable and widely available proof that what you are saying is a lie - the "fair and balanced" media will still report it; after all they have to report both sides.

I personally think Democrats need to respond to this with a vicious personal attack of their own - I don't care. There were always the rumors that Bush impregnated some woman and forced her to have an abortion. You could have a nice ad, run it in the south: "While John Kerry was serving his country, George Bush stayed at home and killed unborn children." That should cut into his base. Of course, this story isn't true - but that's not the standard any more.